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School of Communications hosts statewide media conference

Student media leaders from across the state attended professional sessions, many of which were led by Elon faculty and staff.

The North Carolina College Media Association’s 2017 conference, held at Elon University, kicked off with a opening panel titled “How the Media Can Cover President Trump in His First 100 Days.” With Associate Communications Dean Kenn Gaither (far left) serving as moderator, the panel featured John Robinson, Cami Marshall Anthony, Jason Husser and Mark Dalhouse. Al Drago ’15 (not pictured) served as the panel’s featured respondent.

Elon University’s School of Communications hosted the annual North Carolina College Media Association conference Feb. 25 in Dwight C. Schar Hall. More than 20 Elon University faculty, staff, students and alumni participated in the gathering by offering workshops, critiques and welcomes. Photos of the conference are available on the school’s Flickr account.

Drago also offered the event’s keynote address highlighting his use of Snapchat, the popular social media platform.Associate Professor Naeemah Clark (left) chats with students attending her session on promoting diversity.

Below is a list of the Elon participants and their role in the conference:Assistant Professor Jonathan Albright led an insight session on his research of fake news, a topic he’s discussed with numerous national and international media outlets over the past few months. ​Assistant Professor Max Negin used the new Jane and Brian Williams Studios to discuss visual interview techniques. ​

Kenn Gaither, associate dean of the School of Communications, moderated a panel titled “How the Media Can Cover President Trump in His First 100 Days.” The Elon representation on the panel was: Jason Husser, assistant professor of political science and policy studies and director of the Elon Poll; Mark Dalhouse, director of Study USA and assistant professor of history; Al Drago ’15, photojournalist at The New York Times.

Jonathan Jones, director of the North Carolina Open Government Coalition and assistant professor of communications, led a session titled “Media Law Update: Getting Access to Police Records On- and Off-Campus.”

Nagatha Tonkins, internship director in the School of Communications, Amber McCraw, assistant director of career services for the School of Communications, and Ashley Pinney, associate director of employer and corporate relations at Elon, offered resume and portfolio critiques to students in attendance.

The NCCMA conference, in its ninth year, brings together student media leaders and advisers from across North Carolina. This year, 160 people came to Elon for the convention, marking the highest attendance in NCCMA’s history. This is the second time Elon has hosted.